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Oil cooler removal/replacement with pics and tips.

55K views 117 replies 27 participants last post by  portcity_gt 
#1 ·
Well, I got started late. This is not going to be a speed record. I'm going to add pics, parts list, and describe some things that people that don't know much about these engines or haven't done it yet will appreciate. So far, it's been easy. I have a fair amount of time turning wrenches, but the tools required so far have been minimal. This is where i'm at, i'm about to clean the top part of the motor BEFORE I pull the oil cooler assembly. About three hours into it with plenty of a@#off time. Stay tuned.


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#3 ·
Haha, you've got more experience than me.
Here's where i'm at....

Geuss what I found in the oil inlet? Pieces of an aftermarket oil filter?



Hard plastic, it fit nicely, it fell out when I was draining the oil cooler.

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#5 ·
That plastic looks like part of the oil filter stand pipe.
 
#8 ·
I thought about that, the standpipe looks fine. I'll take a pic of it, I don't think it's missing anything. I'll take a pic of it. I'm sending a sample into blackstone labs. I wonder if it was a piece of an old standpipe thats been changed?

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#6 ·
Looking good Nathaniel!! Which parts are you gonna paint? What color?
 
#7 ·
Thanks. I'm thinking the turbo base black, intake, oil cooler cover silver/aluminum, cac tubes silver/aluminum, or blue. Can't decide. Lol.

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#9 ·
A young ambitious man with a plan!
I can't remember what were you doing a wile ago with the oil filter housing could this be related?
 
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#10 ·
Haha, I don't think so. I believe it's still related to the chewed up sealing surface around the anti-drainback valve. I'm going to investigate that further now though. More to come. I think I still need a new oil filter housing base, to fix that. Ughhhh. Lol.

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#15 ·
There will be more to come guys, i'm going to try to give the do's and don'ts. The surprises that noone talks about, the actual parts list, and most of the tools involved. It may be a bit backwards, when all is done. I'll keeps posting with pics. I've taken tons. I'm already running into things that will get you when doing this. With that said, its been fairly easy, cleaning will be a big part of it for me too. Starting tomorow.

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#16 ·
Started cleaning things today, its raining and cold. Cleaning everything is time consuming. The intake was full of oily soot cacked inside. I took the cross member out and took the cac out to wash through the outside of it and let it drain out. My icp is leaking oil so I ordered some more parts. One of those surprises.


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#17 ·
You gonna wash the radiator also. I couldn't believe the amount of grim that was in the rad fins!


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#18 ·
Yes, i'm gonna try as best I can without pulling it out. Luckily we don't have the road grime down here like yall have up there. It doesn't "look" too bad.

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#19 ·
What's the best way to wash out the radiator fins and cac? Mine are covered with what looks like seeds or grass..

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#20 ·
I sprayed it with Simple Green and let soak for 1/2 hour, the took then garden hose to rinse, did this several times to get clean. After final rinse, I used a air hose to blow dry the fins.


If you remove the radiator, be sure to block off the ports for the Trans lines, so you don't get water in the ports.


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#21 ·
Skip the cleaner and water if its already dry.....blow it out with an air compressor from the back side, you'll be amazed how much crap comes out. Then if you want you can do the cleaner water thing, without making a mud pie.
 
#23 ·
Good post, definitely keeping an eye on this cause I am doing the same thing on Thursday and Friday. Coolant Swap tomorrow, EGR Gen2 delete with new up pipe, oil cooler, new intercooler boots, and MBPR exhaust. Thanks for the tips.
 
#25 ·
Thanks guys, I promise this is going to be updated from start to finish, i've already taken at least 70 pics. I got my turbo cleaned up along with the oil cooler housing, cac, tubes/boots.



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#26 · (Edited)
Here's how it started, clean huh?

Edit: A 3/8" air ratchet will be a life saver, most especially for the turbo clamps and cac boot clamps. I was going to get a 1/4 " cordless impact, but looking at it now, it wouldnt have fit as well in tight spaces, although i'm sure it's useful. The right angle air ratchet is used alot.
I decided top remove the grill, took all of three minutes, use a flat screwdriver to ease the bottom clips. I put plastic wrap on the bumper, and i'm using my job box as a stand. One of the tools for removing plastic push clips"christmastrees" is great to have. Get the hood latch out of the way now, or suffer later. Make some small alignment marks.

First loosen the oil filter and let it drain while you get the radiator draining, you really only need to drain about 3 gal. I recommend an oil change at this point since the resevoir will be thoroughly cleaned. Got the alternator out of the way, the degas bottle, and the whole air cleaner assembly from the turbo imtake as one piece. No need to separate it. Make sure you disconnect the maf and filter minder.

There are two 15mm bolts for the fan shroud. And another bracket bolt for the right head fuel line.



Just bend the tab up for the heater hose connection, no big deal.

Make sure you put zip ties on the fuel lines to keep the nuts from falling, and double wrench if needed to keep from twisting the fuel lines. A gentle bump on the wrench works better than just pulling.

Taking pics along the way for connector and wire routing, its fairly straight forward.




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#27 ·
When you go back together, loosely bolt on the hood latch leave the grill off, close the hood then tighten the latch bolts so you don't to try to adjust it.
 
#28 ·
Got it, great tip! Lol. Thanks!

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#29 ·
No problem, I'm a body man so I do that every day lol.
 
#30 ·
I should have known, since I saw your truck. That truck is killer!

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#31 ·
Thanks, it's gotten kind of neglected here latly, the lawn mower threw rocks and dented it, and the wheels need polished bad.
 
#32 ·
Southend what route are you taking to clean the intake? how bad is the other side of that turbo didn't you say your boost we a little low
 
#34 ·
I took out to the car wash today, they even had hot water. It was cold today and I was soaking wet by the time I finished. Lol. I have to give it a once over in a day or so. It was terrible. I feel like my boost is a little low, I cleaned my turbo a month ago, the most i've seen is 26lb, normally it will hit 21-22 lb. My vgt numbers look good though, i'm thinking of pulling the vgt solenoid, to inspect for trash.

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#33 ·
You can take a few things off or disconnect in a slightly different order, generally speaking. I'mnot concerned about the turbo at this point. Its coming. Make sure you are plugging holes with rags or paper towels as you go along. You can pull the intake elbow and spacer as one piece now, three small allen heads in the spacer and one bolt on the right front of the elbow. You should disconnect all the connectors on oil cooler housing, coolant thermostat ebp, and glow plug controller. At this point you can get the ficm loose and disconnected, to give your harness slack. That way when you take the four bolts out for the oil filter housing, you can fish the wires out of the way and forward. Get the housing out, filter still in.

Next the standpipe, one small bolt, then twist it, get it out of the way. I believe I pulled the turbo feed line next, to get the wires out of the way.

Now you can ease the harness forward. I also got the injector harness out at this point. SQUEEZE the wire clips, and the injector connectors slide right off. There is a ground wire on the back left corner of the intake. Mine was stubborn. Had to back it up with vise grips.

Injector harness out.

Remember you can do this different ways, it was still simple the way i'm explaining it. I've seen intakes pulled from under a mess of wires and hoses. It was too simple for me to get that stuff out of the way.



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#46 ·
Don't ever try to pull the intake manifold with the Injector harness still plugged in to the injectors. People have said it can be done, BUT I have seen way to many times when someone tries that and busts the injector connectors on either the harness or the injector itself or both sometimes which then cost's them a new harness or injector.
 
#39 ·
Yea, I think they are fair, guys post up higher numbers sometimes, I think it has alot to do with tuning and egr deletes. I suspect my numbers wil edge up soon.


Oh yeah that's not bad I was thinking lower than that I didn't know you'd cleaned cleaned your turbo already. I'm sure you'll post up most of my questions so I'll be quiet and ask any you don't answer. great write up!
Haha, no problem. Any questions, something I didn't mention, i'll edit or get more pics added. I realize i'm missing a few here and there.

One thing I wish I would have done is buy a later model intake without the rear crossover so the turbo dosnt have to come out to do 90% of that work.
It would make a difference. It's easier the second time though. We're just special. Lol.

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#36 · (Edited)
So at this point the wires are out of the way, and the intake elbow is there, but you should remove it now.

Time to get the turbo. Get the right side(passenger) bolt out first. I have an '03, it mounts with the back bolt facing forward. Use a 1/4" ratchet and six point socket with an air hammer like this. It's awkward, but worked for me. If that doesn't work, when you get the rest of the bolts out, i've heard you can use a pry bar to rock the turbo on the '03 model to get it to loosen. The later model turbos have the back bolt facing straight down. It wont work for the back bolt, but it will for the front bolt.


Left side of the turbo, quite a few extensions with a 3/8" breaker bar. If it don't work, try rocking it again.

The clamps are easy to get to unless the y pipe clamp is facing backwards. I've heard thats how it's placed from the factory. A 3/8" air rachet is a life saver here. This is the y pipe clamp. Once you get it loose, there is a t bolt that you can turn to diengage the clamp. Give it a tap with a flat tip screw driver in a few spots where it is separeted. The down pipe clamp same thing.


I set a wedge under the truck, under the uppipe to give a little clearance on the turbo. Rock the turbo up and rotate counterclockwise while pulling forward. Easy, success.





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#38 ·
One thing I wish I would have done is buy a later model intake without the rear crossover so the turbo dosnt have to come out to do 90% of that work.
 
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